An injured individual can be compensated for mental and emotional injuries caused by a motor vehicle accident or other traumatic events that a negligent individual caused.
What Type of Damages can be Awarded from Injuries
In a personal injury action, there are generally two types of damages that a jury can award a plaintiff if the plaintiff is successful in his/her claim: economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are awarded as compensation for the monetary losses and expenses the injured party has incurred or is reasonably likely to incur in the future due to the defendant’s negligence. Economic damages are awarded for the reasonable and necessary cost of medical care and any lost earnings of the injured party.
Noneconomic damages are awarded as compensation for non-monetary losses and injuries the injured party has suffered or is reasonably likely to suffer in the future due to the defendant’s negligence. Noneconomic damages are awarded for physical pain and suffering, mental and emotional pain and suffering, and the loss or lessening of the ability to enjoy life’s pleasures.
Connecticut Compensation for Injuries Due to Negligence
In Connecticut, a jury may be instructed that an individual that is injured by the negligence of another is entitled to be compensated for all physical pain and suffering, mental and emotional suffering, loss of the ability to enjoy life’s pleasures, and permanent impairment or loss of function that he/she proves by a fair preponderance of the evidence to have been proximately caused by the negligence of the defendant.
Mental and emotional suffering caused by the defendant’s negligence is compensable when the mental suffering proximately flows from the negligence in the same manner as the injured individual’s physical injuries. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, nightmares, and other mental and emotional injuries are compensable when they are proven to be caused by the defendant’s negligence.
Lawyers for Mental and Emotional Injuries
In order for an individual suffering from mental and emotional injuries to have a successful personal injury claim, the individual needs the right set of facts and corroborating medical testimony to be fully compensated for his/her injuries. The attorneys at Guendelsberger Law Offices have successfully represented individuals that suffer from mental and emotional injuries caused by the negligence of others in automobile accidents and dog attacks.